Heater attachment for electric fans



March 3, 1942. -J. M. NAUL v HEATER ATTACHMENT FOR ELECTRlEC FANS Filed Oct. 11, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l E JitmesM/Vzul J. M. NAUL March 3, 1942.

HEATER ATTACHMENT FOR ELECTRIQFANS Filed Oct. i1, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 SYWWMM JameJM/Vaul a, Xx 7/ Patented Mar. 3, 1942 HEATER ATTACHMENT FOR ELECTRIC FANS James M. Naul, Fanwood, N. J., assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application October 11, 1940, Serial No. 360,740

9 Claims.

This invention relates to heater attachments for electric fans of that type commonly used in homes and ofilces and it has as its primary object to provide such an attachment having improved means whereby it readily may be secured to and removed from the wire guards which usually surround the blades of such fans.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved heater attachment that may be used with substantially all of the common types of wire fan-blade guards for electric fans without the necessity of adjustment.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and improved heater attachment for an electric fan that will require only a simple hand motion to connect it to or remove it from a wire fan-guard.

The foregoing objects, and others ancillary thereto, have been attained by the provision of an improved heater attachment comprising a heatdirecting shell and an electric heating coil therein adapted to be clamped to the wire guard of an electric fan Whenever a heating unit is required and to be readily removable therefrom when such a heating unit is no longer desired. Specifically, my improved device includes a serrated annular member adapted to engage the wires of any conventional wire fan-guard and a cooperating manually actuated clamp adapted to engage the guard to hold the heater attachment thereon. By reason of this construction the heater attachment readily may be attached to and removed from any conventional wire fanguard, without the use of tools, by simple hand movement.

The invention, both in structure and in operation, as well as additional objects thereof, will be best understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a common type of electric fan showing, in cross section, the improved heater attachment in its operative position.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the fan and the improved heater attachment shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. showing how a serrated portion of the heater attachment engages the wire members of the fan-guard.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the hand operated plunger and the clamp-hook attached thereto.

Referring more specifically to the drawings,

the invention is disclosed as applied to an elec-,

tric fan having a base I upon which is mounted the usual motor casing 2, containing an electric motor, the forward end of the shaft 3 of which carries fan-blades 4. A wire blade-guard 5, of usual construction, is mounted on and supported by the motor casing 2.

The improved heating attachment comprises a pan-like shell 6, preferably made of sheetmetal and provided with air-directing slots 1. The shell 6 is secured to and supported by the outer end of a tubular member 8 which, in turn, is supported from the fan-guard. On the inner end of the member 8 is secured, by a nut IS, the central portion 9 of a reaction element 9 having radial legs 9* connecting the portion 9 with an annular cupped portion 9. Electrical heating coils I 0 are supported by, but insulated from, ears II which, in turn, are fastened to the outer portion of said reaction element 9. serrations I3 are formed on the periphery I2 of an inturned flange I2 provided by the portion 9 of the reaction element 9, in order that said element may engage the substantially radial fan-guard wires l4, which comprise the face portion of the guard 5. It is to be noted that the serrations I3 are provided around the entire periphery of said flange I2 and therefore will engage the radial wires of any conventional wire fan-blade guard.

The aforementionedtubular member 8 is hollow and slidingly mounted lengthwise therein is a spring-pressed plunger I6, one end of which is formed as a thumb-piece I1, and the other providing a mounting for a clamp-hook I8. This hook I8 is made so as to be readily slipped over the hub or central portion I9 from which the fanguard wires I4 radiate. Secured upon the outer end of the member 8 is a hand-grasp 20 afiording finger pieces 211 and 20 respectively, for engagement by the first and second fingers of a user.

Within the sleeve 8, and surrounding the plunger I6, is a compression spring 2| adapted to exert a constant pressure between the shoulder 22 of plunger l6 and a shoulder 23 of the memher 8 thereby tending to force the clamp hook I8 toward the hand-grasp 20. It is this constant pressure on the shoulder 23 that forces the reaction element 9 inwardly and causes the serrated periphery l2 thereof to bear against the radial famguard wires I4 when the hook I8 is in place over the hub IS, the opposed actions of the hook I8 and the serrated periphery of the flange I2 serving to securely clamp the attachment to the fan-guard. In order to remove the pressure between the reaction element 9 and the radial wires I4, and unclamp the heater from the guard one need only grip the curved finger pieces 20 and 29 with the first and second fingers and, while pulling outwardly thereon, press inwardly on the thumb-piece IT. This action will draw the serrations i3 away from the radial wires [4 and the heating attachment may then be removed by merely lifting it bodily, to disengage the clamphook I8 from the hub 19 and simultaneously therewith swinging the top of the attachment forwardly.

To attach the heater unit to the fan-blade guard the user will grasp the curved finger pieces as above described and, after pressing the plunger l1, slip the clamp-hook l8 over the hub 18 and release said plunger. Upon the release of the plunger H the serrations l3 will engage the radial wires l4 and the heater attachment will be held in its operative position. To make the heater operative, an electrical conductor 24, connected to the heating coils i0, may be connected to any suitable source of electric current supply.

From the above description it is obvious that 1y heater attachment is readily adaptable to substantially all electric fans which are provided with Wire fan-blade guards. apparent that the heater attachment may be readily placed on and removed from operative position by a simple hand movement, while, at the same time, it provides a saf and secure coupling between itself and the fan-blade guard.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention what I claim herein is:

l. A heater attachment for an electric fan having a fan-blade guard including hub and face portions, comprising a perforated air-directing 1 shell, a heating element within said shell, means for securing said shell to the guard comprising a single clamp carried axially of said shell and adapted to engage th hub-portion of said fanblade guard, a coil-spring acting to shift said clamp into contact with said hub-portion and a reaction element adapted to engage the face portion of said fan-blade guard in a plurality of circumferentially spaced positions, said releasable clamp and said reaction element being 1:

adapted to be manually moved relative to each other in opposition to said coil-spring thereby to unclamp the attachment from said guard.

2. An electric heater attachment for an airfan having a fan-blade and a guard surrounding said fan-blade, comprising a perforated panshaped air-directing shell, a heating element within said shell, means to detachably secure said shell to said guard including a finger-grip mounted at the outer face of said shell, a tubular member secured to and within the shell, a plunger mounted within said member, a coil-spring surrounding said plunger, said plunger being adapted to be manually actuated lengthwise of itself in opposition to said coil-spring, a clamp element mounted upon one end of said plunger adapted to engage one face of said guard, a cooperating reaction element connected with said finger-grip and adapted to engage the opposite face-of said guard.

3. An electric heater attachment for a. power driven fan having a fan-blade and a guard surrounding said fan-blade, said guard having hub and face portions, comprising a perforated airdirecting shell, an electric heating coil mounted within said shell, means. to detachably secure said shell to. said guard including a tubular member secured to said shell, a plunger mounted within said tubular member, a hook element secured uponone end of, said plunger. and, adapted Likewise it will be to engage behind the hub portion of said guard, a serrated element mounted upon said tubular member adapted to engage the face portion of said guard, spring means located within said member and acting in opposite directions on said plunger and serrated element to clamp said attachment on said guard.

4. An electric heater attachment adapted to be detachably secured to an electric fan having a fan-blade guard provided with hub and face portions, said attachment comprising a perforated shell, electric heating coils mounted within said shell, means to detachably secure said shell to said guard including a tubular member axially secured to said shell, a finger-grip mounted upon one end of said member and a reaction element mounted upon the other end, the edge portions of said reaction element being provided with serrations adapted to engage the face portion of said fan-blade guard, a plunger mounted within said tubular member, a coil-spring surrounding said plunger, said plunger being adapted to be manually actuated lengthwise of itself in opposition to said coil-spring, and a hook mounted upon one end of said plunger adapted to engage the hub portion of said fan-guard.

5. An electric heater attachment adapted to be detachably secured to a power driven fan having a fan-blade guard provided with hub and face portions, said attachment comprising a pan-like air-directing shell, an electric heating coil mount-ed within said shell, means to detachably secure said shell to said guard including a tubular member axially secured to said shell, a fingei grip mounted upon one end of said member, a reaction element mounted upon the other end. of said member, the edge portions of said element being provided with serrations adapted to engage the face portion of said fan-blade guard, a shouldered plunger mounted within said tubular member, a coil-spring surrounding the plunger and engaging the shoulder of the plunger and an end wall of the tubular member, said plunger being adapted to be manually actuated lengthwise of itself in opposition to said coilspring, a hook mounted on the inner end of said plunger and adapted to engage the hub portion of the fan-blafe guard, and a thumb-piece mounted on the outer end of said plunger for cooperation with said finger-grip in the actuation of the plunger.

6. In a heater attachment for an electric fan having a fan-blade guard, means for securing the heater attachment to said fan-blade guard including a single spring actuated clamping element carried axially of said attachment, and a reaction element spaced from said clamping ele ment and adapted to engage said guard in a plurality of circumferentially spaced positions.

7. In an electric heater attachment for an airfan having a fan-blade guard provided with hub and. face portions, means for securing the attachment to said guard including a. hook element carried axially of said attachment and adapted to engage said hub portion, and a reaction element spaced from said hook element and adapted to engage the face portion of said guard in a plurality of circumferentially spaced positions, said hook element being spring biased toward said reaction element.

8. A heater attachment for electric fans having a fan-blade guard provided with hub and face portions, comprising an air-directing shell, heating means within said shell, and means to secure said shell to said guard, said means including a single hook element carried axially of said shell and adapted to engage the hub portion of said guard and a reaction member having portions thereof annularly spaced about said hook and adapted to engage said guard face in a plurality of circumferentially spaced positions, said hook element and said reaction member being shiftable relative to each through the medium of a single thumb-piece and cooperating finger pieces.

9. In a heater attachment for an electric fan having a fan-blade guard provided with face and hub portions, an air-directing shell, heating 3 means within said shell, and means to secure the shell to said guard including a member carried by the shell and adapted-t0 engage said guardface in a plurality of circumferentially spaced positions; the improvement which consists in the provision of a single clamping means carried axially of said shell and including a hook element adapted to engage said guard-hub, a spring means, and thumband finger-pieces, said thumband finger-pieces being adapted to be moved relative to each other in opposition to said spring means to actuate said hook element.

JAMES M. NAUL. 

